Recently, an Indiana dispatcher received praise and recognition for her assistance to law enforcement after maintaining a text conversation with the victim of a captive situation who had texted 911.

You Can Text 911?

You read that correctly. The dispatcher was communicating with the victim via text message. In some situations, like the one above, texting 911 may be the best, and safest option. The FCC says,

Text-to-911 is the ability to send a text message to reach 911 emergency call takers from your mobile phone or device. However, because voice calls to 911 provide more information to 911 call centers, you should always make a voice call to 911 during an emergency whenever possible.

 

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Can Anyone Text 911?

While there are a number of counties across the country where texting 911 is an available option, unfortunately, it is not available everywhere. However, according to the FCC, there are a lot of places where it is available, and in Indiana, there are a number of counties that offer Text-to-911 services.

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Indiana Counties with Text-to-911 Services

  • Adams
  • Allen
  • Bartholomew
  • Benton
  • Blackford
  • Boone
  • Brown
  • Carroll
  • Cass
  • Clark
  • Clay
  • Clinton
  • Crawford
  • Daviess
  • Dearborn
  • Decatur
  • Dekalb
  • Delaware
  • Dubois
  • Elkhart
  • Fayette
  • Floyd
  • Fountain
  • Franklin
  • Fulton
  • Gibson
  • Grant
  • Greene
  • Hamilton
  • Hancock
  • Harrison
  • Hendricks
  • Henry
  • Howard
  • Huntington
  • Jackson
  • Jasper
  • Jay
  • Jefferson
  • Jennings
  • Johnson
  • Knox
  • Kosciusko
  • LaGrange
  • LaPorte
  • Lawrence
  • Madison
  • Marion
  • Marshall
  • Martin
  • Miami
  • Monroe
  • Montgomery
  • Morgan
  • Newton
  • Noble
  • Ohio
  • Orange
  • Owen
  • Parke
  • Perry
  • Pike
  • Porter
  • Posey
  • Pulaski
  • Putnam
  • Randolph
  • Ripley
  • Rush
  • Scott
  • Shelby
  • Spencer
  • St. Joseph
  • Starke
  • Steuben
  • Sullivan
  • Switzerland
  • Tippecanoe
  • Tipton
  • Union
  • Vanderburgh
  • Vermillion
  • Vigo
  • Wabash
  • Warrick
  • Washington
  • Wayne
  • Wells
  • White
  • Whitley

View and download a copy of the FCC master registry list of Text-to-911 participating counties across the United States to see if your county offers Text-to-911 services.

[Source: FCC.gov]

Evansville Police Officers Walk the Beat, Getting to Know Their Neighbors

This year the Evansville Police Department has really stepped up its efforts to get to know the citizens they serve. Walking Wednesdays is a great way for law enforcement to be seen in neighborhoods and to meet the residents and hear their stories.

See the Deaconess-Evansville Police Suicide Prevention Cruiser

The police cruiser is a joint effort between Deaconess Health Systems and the Evansville Police Department for the purpose of promoting suicide prevention options in the area.

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